SOUTH PORTLAND — Ethan Spaulding scored his 50th career goal as a varsity soccer player earlier this week.
After Thursday’s victory against Highview Christian, he has 53 goals and he’s still in his sophomore season at Greater Portland Christian School, where he is coached by his father, Chris, also the school’s athletic director.
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Ethan, 15, who lives in Windham, did something he’s less comfortable with this week: sitting still for an interview. The oldest of Chris and Lorrie’s four children (he has three sisters) discussed his goal when it comes to scoring, the Lions’ 7-0-1 start that has them ranked second in Western Class D, and what he likes about attending a faith-based school.
Q: As I’m sitting here I see a lot of nervous energy.
A: I can’t sit still. Sitting still is just … I can’t. I can sit but my leg jiggles, I move my hands.
Q: So it sounds like you like being outdoors and being active?
A: I don’t like free time. If I have free time, there’s something I could be doing.
Q: Have you always been that way?
A: For as long as I can remember. My dad will tell me that when I was 2 or 3 I would run around the house and then they would just find me somewhere sleeping.
Q: Are you a high-energy guy on the soccer field?
A: If I’m standing still then I’m not doing something right. A lot of people think that if you stand in one place and you stand open you’re being helpful, but you can always make a run, you can always switch with someone. The more movement, the more confusion for the other team.
Q: Do you feel like you see plays develop faster than most other people on the field?
A: I wouldn’t say most other people, but I definitely do see it working in my head.
Q: Is Greater Portland a team with championship aspirations?
A: I think so. Whenever we play a team weaker than us we ask the players how we compare with the teams they’ve played. They’ll tell us ‘you guys play it way better.’ I don’t know if they’re just being nice or being honest. I’d like to think it’s honest.
Q: I understand this year has been a little tough for you because you haven’t felt your best. What’s been the issue?
A: I’ve been coming out of games just to (become ill) on the sideline, and there were a couple of times when I just got cleaned out and (sustained) an ankle injury, but most of it has just been sick, an illness. This past game was the first time all year I’ve been able to play the whole game.
Q: A couple years ago you were diagnosed with Lyme disease. Do you think it’s connected?
A: I do have a lot of the symptoms they said. Lyme disease, it acts like it goes away but it sticks with (people). It’s not there year-round; it just acts up, and when it acts up I don’t know what else you can do about it. I’ve gone to the doctor every year for it.
Q: What do you like about attending a Christian school?
A: Definitely that we can openly talk about God. Like in public school they have rules where you can’t talk about it, or they say, ‘save it for after school.’ Here it’s open, you feel free about it. We have bible classes, chapel.
Q: If you have 50 goals now and you still have 21/2 seasons left, is 100 possible?
A: I like to think it is. I like scoring, it’s nice, but I like to help my teammates score, too, and sometimes I’m told I’m too unselfish. One of my goals since I started playing was to be the leading scorer in Maine but not to let that blind me. It would be nice if that happened, if it worked out that way, but I don’t want to ball-hog and have it come down to me. Team success is way more important to me.
Q: When you say leading scorer, do you mean for a season or all-time?
A: All-time. Right now the record is 127 (set by Ian Lee of Madawaska from 2010-13). He broke it by about 20 goals. At first, 108 was reasonable for me, but 127? I don’t know.
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